POTOWATOMIES. 27 



35. 



WA-BON-SEH, OR THE WHITE SKY. 



(Painted June, 1843.) 



Principal Chief of the Prairie Band of Potowatomies, residing near 

 Council Bluffs. This chief is a bold and sagacious warrior, but pos 

 sesses no merit as an orator; his will is submitted to his people 

 through his speaker, a man possessed of great powers of oratory. 



Many of his war exploits are of a thrilling and exciting nature ; 

 but the want of room compels us to restrict ourselves to one or two 

 instances only of his firmness and bold daring. 



Some years since, a war-party of Osages visited their country and 

 made an unexpected attack upon them, killing many of their war 

 riors and escaping with their scalps. Immediate retaliation was out 

 of the question. Years passed away, during which time many of his 

 people died with the small-pox and intemperate use of whiskey, 

 thereby reducing his warriors to a mere handful. Notwithstanding 

 this dire calamity, Wabonseh still cherished that spirit of revenge 

 so dear to an Indian s heart, and determined to avenge the death of 

 his people. 



He accordingly collected a small party, visited the Osage country, 

 and made a descent upon one of their villages, which contained triple 

 their own number of warriors. Nothing daunted, he determined to 

 make an attack. They consequently secreted themselves in the 

 neighbourhood, and waited the approach of night. It was dark and 

 cloudy, and well suited to their purposes. A spy was despatched to 

 learn the position of their enemies, with orders to return to camp 

 when the Osages were slumbering. About midnight he made his 

 appearance, bringing the intelligence that all was quiet. \Va-bon-seh 

 and his party made their way to the village, crept upon the war. 

 riors who lay sleeping around the embers of their camp-fires, uncon 

 scious of the fate that awaited them. At a signal from the chief the 

 work of death commenced ; those who escaped this fate were aroused 

 by the noise, and fled in terror. 



Wa-bon-seh, having been successful in procuring the scalps of seve 

 ral of their warriors, did not pursue them, but set fire to their lodges, 

 and made good his retreat. At sunrise they were far on their way 

 towards their homes. 



This man was in attendance at the great international council held 

 at Tah-le-quah, in the Cherokee nation, during the month of June, 



